Best fit: Why Texans coach Bill O'Brien might favor Blake Bortles

The history between Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien (right) and UCF head coach George O’Leary (left) could determine which quarterback the Texans eventually select. (Matthew O’Haren – USA TODAY Sports)

Location and situation are vital components to any player’s success. The right system, coach and opportunity can dictate a player’s career as much as his natural athletic ability and talent.

It’s why the situation in which a quarterback in placed is vitally important. And that’s even more applicable for May’s draft class.

With each of the top prospects available in May, they each have their strengths and weaknesses. How a team builds around these talents will be very important in their maturation as professional quarterbacks. Some teams are better fits for these quarterbacks than others.

In part two of this series, UCF’s Blake Bortles is under the spotlight.

Blake Bortles

It will be difficult for the Texans to pass on South Carolina DE Jadeveon Clowney with the No. 1 overall pick. However, the organization may decide to do so for a player Texans head coach Bill O’Brien knows quite well.

On Sept. 14, Central Florida QB Blake Bortles led his team to a 34-31 victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. At the time, O’Brien was Penn State’s head coach.

O’Brien and his staff already had a strong working knowledge of Bortles’ strengths and weaknesses after game planning against him. If given the opportunity, those previous Penn State staffers will rave about Bortles and the type of player he is. And they can build the offense around those skills.

On top of the natural fit with the coaching staff, Bortles fits O’Brien’s preferred style of quarterbacks.

Bortles is a big (6-5, 232), strong and athletic signal caller. He can stand in the pocket to deliver a pass or creates with his feet once the play breaks down.

O’Brien established his reputation as Tom Brady’s quarterbacks coach turned Patriots offensive coordinator. Once O’Brien was chosen as Penn State’s head coach, he immediately recruited the No. 1 pocket passer in the country, Christian Hackenberg, who eventually landed in State College and become the 20013 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Bortles isn’t an advanced passer at this stage, but he has all the physical tools O’Brien’ prefers to eventually develop into the coach’s complicated passing offense.